Lintel member for fireplaces



June 1, 1965 G. H. LUNT ETAL LINTEL MEMBER FOR FIREPLACE 1S Filed June 20, 1963 FIG.

INVENTORS GORDON H. LUNT BYTED K. CLARK ATTORN Y5 United States Patent LINTEL MEMBER FOR FIREPLACES Gordon H. Lunt, 3626 Wallace Road, and Ted K. Clark, 5004 Sonoma Highway, both of Santa Rosa, Calif. Filed June 20, 1963, Ser. No. 289,203 1 Claim. (Cl. 126-142) This invention relates generally to structural members for buildings, and more particularly it relates to an improved lintel for open fireplaces.

In the construction of fireplaces for modern homes, a lintel or horizontal beam member is often utilized to span the fireplace opening and support the masonry above it. Upon completion of the fireplace it is also generally required that a suitable screen such as the slidable curtain type be provided for the fireplace opening to prevent the escape of sparks therefrom. Heretofore, a problem existed of providing an effective and inexpensive means for supporting such a screen. The procedure usually followed prior to the present invention was to support the screen by auxiliary fittings attached in some manner to the fixed lintel member in the fireplace. This required that holes be bored and tapped in the existing lintel to hold whatever brackets or supports that were required for installing the screen. Such installations not only entailed additional expense for the homeowner, but they often lacked adequate strength as well as being difficult and time consuming to make.

One major object of the present invention is to provide an improved lintel construction for fireplaces that provides the necessary structural support for the masonry above the fireplace opening and which also supports a slidable protective screen spaced outwardly from the Vertical plane' of the fireplace opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined structure supporting and slidable screen holding lintel device that not only has excellent strength characteristics, but which is attractive in appearance and readily adaptable for use with a wide variety of fireplace designs.

Still another object ofthe present invention is to provide a lintel beam member for constructing fireplaces that is easy to install with reference to its alignment with the masonry materials being used in constructing the fireplaces.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved lintel bar member for fireplaces having a central beam portion for supporting the load produced by the masonry above the fireplace opening in combination with an integral hood portion that extends outwardly from one side of the beam portion and also outwardly from the upper edge of the fireplace opening when the lintel bar is installed. The hood portion thus anchored by the central beam portion provides a means for supporting the protective screen when the lintel bar is installed, and it also functions as a deflector for preventing any smoke or fumes coming from the fireplace from discoloring the masonry above the fireplace opening.

Another object of our invention is to provide a lintel device of the aforesaid type wherein the height of the screen can be readily adjustable within the hood portion to compensate for variations in the actual height of the fireplace opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide a screen supporting lintel device that is particularly well adapted for ease and economy of manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof presented in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vie-w in perspective showing a typical fireplace construction utilizing a lintel device embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation and in section taken along the line 2a-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the under side of the lintel device.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a typical fireplace construction utilizing a lintel 10 embodying the principles of the invention. The fireplace illustrated is made from the well known form of brick, but it will be apparent from the description of the invention that our lintel bar 10 can be utilized in constructing fireplaces of various types that may be made from a wide variety of masonry materials.

As shown, the lintel 10 is an elongated beam-like device having a length greater than the length of the fireplace opening 11 so that the ends of the lintel can be supported by masonry at the opposite upper ends of the side walls forming the fireplace opening. For example, in FIG. 1, the ends 12 of a central horizontal portion 13 of the lintel 10 are supported by the bricks 14 at the upper end of the fireplace side walls. The central portion 13 of our lintel 10 extends upward along its inner edge to form a flange 15 which, preferably extends along its entire length. The flange 155 provides added bending strength for the lintel. Also, it is preferably spaced from the outer edge of the central beam portion so as to form an area thereon substantially wider than the standard brick width, thereby making it convenient for bricks to be placed along the upper side of the central beam portion. With the appropriate mortar placed around the bricks, the lintel 10 can thus be firmly anchored in the fireplace structure.

Extending outwardly and downwardly from the outside edge of the central beam portion 13 is an outer flange 16 of our lintel device. As shown best in FIG. 2, this outer flange 16 extends the full length of the device 10 and is preferably bent outwardly at an angle of greater than with the central portion 13. Near its bottom edge the flange is bent downwardly to form a vertical edge portion 17. At each end of our lintel device 10 is a transverse plate member 18 which is connected to an end of the flange 16 and the end of the central beam portion 13. The rear edge 19 of each end plate 18 is preferably smooth and straight and is oriented perpendicularly to the plane of the central beam portion 13. Essentially, the outer flange 16 in combination with part of the central beam portion 13 and the end plate members 18 form a hood-like portion of the device 10 which is both ornmnental and extremely important functionally when installed in a fireplace.

Mounted in the inside of each transverse end member 18, as by welding, is a bracket 20 which, as shown in FIG. 2, is provided with a series of holes 21 of equal size that are spaced apart vertically and horizontally in staggered arrangement with similar holes of a bracket at the opposite end of the lintel device. The brackets 20 are provided to support the opposite ends of a rod 22 to which is slidably attached a pair of sections 23 and 24 of flexible metal screen. Near its center the rod forms an S-shaped portion 25 (FIG. 4) and it is supported at this point by a bracket 26 welded thereto, which is slidably attached to a threaded stud 27 that is welded to and extends downwardly from the lower surface of the central beam portion 13. A pair of nuts 28 on the stud 27 are provided on opposite sides of the bracket 26 to retain it in the desired position on the stud 27.

It In constructing our lintel device, a variety of materials could be utilized. However, it is preferred that plate steel be used having a substantial thickness (cg. gauge) so that it will provide adequate strength and rigidity when installed.

When installing our improved lintel device it is first placed in position on the supporting side wall portions of the fireplace, such as the bricks 14, with the straight edges 19 of the end plate 18 abutting the front sides of the supporting bricks 14. Additional bricks can then be installed along the upper side of the central beam portion of the lintel using the appropriate amount of mortar material. As the fireplace is completed, the central beam portion 13 with its upright flange 15 is thus firmly anchored within the fireplace masonry leaving the outer flange or hood portion 16 exposed along the upper edge of the fireplace opening 11. The pair of flexible screen sections 23 and 24 which have been cut to the proper length appropriate for the height of the fireplace opening, are threaded on the rod 22. The rod is somewhat flexible and its ends can be readily placed in an aligned pair of holes 21 of the supporting brackets so that the bottom edge of the screen is at the desired distance above the bottom of the fireplace. The bracket 26 at the central portion of the rod can now be placed on the stud 27 and the nuts 28 thereon can be adjusted in position to hold the center of the rod at the same level as the bracket holes 21 in which it is installed.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that the present invention provides a unique combination of elements that cooperate to serve both as a load supporting lintel beam member and as a screen support in the construction of fireplaces. In addition to being ornamental, the hood portion of our lintel beam also serves elfectively for deflecting any smoke from the fireplace away from the masonry above the fireplace opening. Our lintel bar makes possible a more simplified and a more economical installation, yet with functional and ornamental features that are adaptable to a Wide variety of fireplace structures.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely difiering embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

4 We claim: A combination lintel and protective hood device for a masonry fireplace comprising:

a rigid one-piece member including a flat elongated horizontal beam portion adapted to support the masonry above a fireplace opening when the ends of said beam portion are supported on opposite side Walls of the fireplace opening;

an integral upturned flange portion extending along an inside edge of said horizontal beam portion;

an outer integral flange portion extending downwardly from an outside edge of said horizontal beam portion on the side thereof opposite from said upturned flange portion, said outer flange portion adapted to extend outwardly from the upper edge of the fireplace opening when the device is installed;

transverse end members extending rearwardly from said outer flange portion and downwardly from said horizontal beam portion, each said end member having an edge substantially perpendicular to the plane of said horizontal beam portion, the distance between said end member edges and said upturned flange portion being at least as great as the width of the masonry forming the fireplace opening;

whereby said end member edges are adapted to abut the masonry on opposite sides of the fireplace opening, thereby positioning said upturned flange portion to facilitate alignment of the masonry above the fireplace opening.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,460,575 7/23 Donovan 160-126 2,313,496 3/43 Adams 160-330 2,787,156 4/57 Goodwin -47 2,859,487 11/58 Tonnon et a1. 50-403 2,964,277 12/60 Sonntag 248--265 3,077,923 2/63 Hatcher l26 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,009,538 3/52 France.

OTHER REFERENCES Sears, Roebuck and Company, Fall and Winter 1962, TS 199 S439, pages 1261-1263.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner. HEN Y C- U ER ND; mi r, 

